Granddaddy

Thursday was a sad day for my family and me. My 90 year old grandfather passed away. We called him Granddaddy.

I spent many hours after his death reflecting on the memories that I had with him both as a child and as an adult. They were all good memories which was to be expected because he was a good man.

Some of my memories revolved around the many fishing trips that we embarked on together when I was a child. We once caught so many blue gill fish that we had to stop fishing because we couldn't clean them all. As I got older, Granddaddy taught me how to bird hunt. We walked together for many miles in the morning and afternoon air searching for quail. When a covey would rise up, Granddaddy didn't miss and he always downed two or three birds. I was impressed with his marksmanship because I considered myself lucky if I could hit one.

Granddaddy's endurance was as impressive as his marksmanship. He could walk through fields for what seemed like hundreds of miles without so much as stopping for a drink of water. When the sun began its decent Granddaddy would want to hunt one more field if I was willing. I always consented and I tried my best to keep up. I enjoyed those hunting trips and I wish that I could hunt through one more field with him.

Granddaddy was a World War II veteran. He spent 42 months in the South Pacific defending our great nation. Grandaddy didn't talk about the details of the war much but I know that he was proud of his service to our country. He was an active and respected member of the VFW post in Edmonton.

Granddaddy had a special place in his heart for anyone's service time and I always felt like he was proud of my career with the Kentucky State Police. Every time we got together he would tell me to be careful, then he would instruct me on how to "point shoot," like he had taught himself in the Philippines. I will miss those lessons.

Granddaddy made many friends and everyone in Edmonton, KY knew him. Granddaddy treated all people that he met with respect and he didn't complain even if things weren't going his way. This was evident by the diversity of individuals who visited the funeral home. His friends of all ages described how Granddaddy had influenced their life in a positive way.

Granddaddy left this earth as a happy man. He lived an entire lifetime without significant illness. He took care of himself and was able to travel alone anywhere that he deemed necessary. Most importantly he loved his family and friends. If I can live a long, healthy, happy and fulfilling life like Granddaddy, I will consider myself a fortunate person.

I will miss Granddaddy dearly and I will cherish my memories with him forever.




Russell Reece September 13, 1918 - March 05, 2009